War Horse by Michael Marpurgo

Last year I had several students - boys - who loved to read about history. I saw the previews for this at the movies and I realized that it was based on a book. Stories about animals always really choke me up, but I knew that I had to read this book.

I'm SO glad that I did!!! I love horses and if for no other reason, this book is a wonderful horse story. That said, it is also so much more than that! It's a story of love, trust, friendship, courage and loyalty. The personification used by the author for the horse, Joey, represents the best in all of us and all we hope to be. It reminded me much of the timeless classic, Black Beauty, but of course, more from a boys perspective. Like Black Beauty, it is told from the perspective of the horse, Joey. It is a brilliant story but if you read it ( and I highly recommend that you do!) better have the tissues handy! Joey and all the characters of this treasure are unforgettable.

I recommend this for readers of all ages, especially those with an interest in history. Great book for boys!

Code Talkers

I read this book with my fifth grade reading group and it just made for the most amazing discussion. My group was comprised of 10 - 11 year old boys, a difficult age group to encourage reading, and without exception, they all loved this book.

It is amazing how much even I, as an adult, learned from reading this novel. For example, I had no idea how many men we lost in the Pacific to malaria and that the search for a cure to the "mosquito problem" was what brought about DDT. I was amazed at how much information the Code Talkers had to store completely in their memory - the code books never left the base where the Navajo learned the Code to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Even the Code Talkers themselves were assigned protectors among the other Marines to keep them from being captured by the Japanese.

I loved the way that this book was written in the first person. The reader gets to experience everything with Ned Bengay from his departure from his family,to his treatment at the government school, to his time as a Marine. This is an amazing first person narrative of a few of the most colorful members of the Greatest generation. It's a great read and I recommend it highly.

If you have boys in this age group that enjoy Call of Duty or other online WW2 games, this is a great tie in and way to get them reading. I printed the navajo dictionary out from a site online for the boys in my group and they really enjoyed that. It was an awesome experience, being able to share this work with young men and see the real impact that it made on them.

Touching Spirit Bear

After his anger erupts into violence, Cole Matthews, in order to avoid going to prison, agrees to participate in a sentencing alternative based on the native American Circle Justice, and he is sent to a remote Alaskan Island where an encounter with a huge Spirit Bear changes his life.

Cole, like most teenagers, thinks he has all the answers. He knows everything and he is afraid of nothing, or at least that is what Cole wants everyone to think. During his banishment to the island, all of Cole's perceptions are challenged.

This is a book about survival, but most of all it is a book about forgiveness. I was amazed at the breadth and depth of good life lessons that my fifth grade reading group was able to take away from this book. Some of their answers:
"Anger can motivate you, but harboring it can also damage you."
" There is a lot that we can learn from the animals and the world around us."
and my favorite, "In order to forgive others, we have to forgive ourselves first."

I would highly recommend this book to any YA readers, especially pre-teen and teenage boys who are often so difficult to find books for.